


stopgap

by bukkunmoonsin (bukkunkun)



Series: The X-Men AU No One Asked For [3]
Category: Heneral Luna (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mutants, Attempted Seduction, Goyong You Slut, M/M, Pining Miong, Unrequited Love, War, let's make this tag a thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-05-01 17:45:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5214935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bukkunkun/pseuds/bukkunmoonsin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mabini’s voice, his lips, his eyes said ‘<i>I love you</i>’, but the way he sat—the whole circumstance—said, ‘<i>I lied</i>’.</p>
            </blockquote>





	stopgap

**Author's Note:**

> [original post here](http://bukkun-moonsin.tumblr.com/post/131481485048/stopgap). sorry if i hurt your feelings.

There are a myriad of ways to get a stopgap into a hole.

Try to forget that the hole is there. Ignore it.

Find a replacement.

It felt  _wrong_  for  _him_  to be smiling like that, like his world had lit up and angels were singing and it was always sunny, just by seeing him. It felt like a lie told past tight teeth and desperate lips to think  _he_  returned his feelings with the intensity he had. It felt strange, to be staring at him right now, sitting on his bed without his chair and blanket in sight—

_Ah_. That was why.

“Good evening, Senyor Presidente.” Mabini’s voice, his lips, his eyes said ‘ _I love you_ ’, but the way he sat—the whole circumstance—said, ‘ _I lied_ ’. “I hope I’m not intruding.”

How he wished he was.

“General Del Pilar.” Aguinaldo deadpanned. “What in God’s green earth are you doing?”

Mabini’s lips curled down into a frown, and morphed away to be replaced with Gregorio’s displeased expression.

“Honestly. And here I thought you’d appreciate the effort.”

“That was more like a slap to the face.” He replied simply. “Who the hell do you think you are, insulting your President like this?”

“Believe me, Senyor Presidente, you’re not the first.” Gregorio replied, dead serious, and stood up as the older man sat down on his armchair, sighing deeply. He gave the man a salute, one which Aguinaldo tiredly returned, before sitting down again. “Do you miss him, sir?”

“Your  _report_ , General.”

“Well, Senyor Mabini’s having a lovely time sightseeing with General Luna in Kawit.”

“ _General_.” All the metal in the room thrummed and vibrated threateningly, and the shapeshifter’s smile fell from his face.

“They’ve recruited, at the least, 300  _Mapalad_  that are able to fight. General Luna has managed to delegate them to different battalions to help all over Cavite and soon they’ll be reaching the other provinces as well.” He reported, and Aguinaldo frowned, leaning his chin on his hand.

“And what about Mabini?”

“He’s still with the General.” Gregorio smirked slightly. “He’s not quite used to being out in the rough these days and the two soldiers carrying him around are a little young to be in General Luna’s inner circle, but he’s fine.”

Aguinaldo raised an eyebrow at the boy general.

“He’s been doing a lot of thinking, from what I can see.” Gregorio continued, “I eavesdropped on a conversation he and General Luna had and it’s… interesting.”

“What was it about?”

“You.”

Aguinaldo’s chest throbbed with nervous energy, and he was silently glad Gregorio was not a telepath.

“Go on.”

“General Luna was talking to him about a united Filipinas and how, basically, this war should be fought by  _Mapalad_  and human alike.”

“That shouldn’t be the case.” Aguinaldo stated, frowning as he crossed his arms, but Gregorio continued like he hadn’t spoken.

“After a long conversation, Mabini agreed with him.” He looked right at his President, silently seeking his response. “He said he’d support Luna in his cause.”

Aguinaldo’s eyes widened. But he… trusted Mabini would support  _him._  Was  _he_ not his President?

Gregorio’s lips pulled up at one corner, pleased with Aguinaldo’s silent shock. “Eventually they started talking about you. General Luna knows you wouldn’t support  _that_  sort of scandalous, radical ideology. So Senyor Mabini said he’ll try convincing you. By whatever means necessary.”

“That’s…”

The thought of Mabini taking his mind, breaking it to his wishes—should have sent his stomach turning in horror, but somehow, he found himself not minding.

“If I may, Senyor Presidente—I doubt he’ll use his powers.” Gregorio interjected. “I mean, he’s a smart man. If he ever intended to do that, he’d have already done it by now.”

Aguinaldo paused at that, and realized Gregorio was right. Every decision and light debate they had together in that office was Aguinaldo’s true opinions against Mabini’s, alone, with nothing but their logic and reasoning behind their intentions, and never involving his metallokinetic powers, or Mabini’s manipulation of the mind.

Mabini never broke his trust. It made his heart swell two sizes.

“… You’re right.” He replied, after a moment of silence, drinking in the realization.

Gregorio laughed, and leant back in his seat on Aguinaldo’s bed.

“So, how do you think he’d convince you, Senyor Presidente?” he asked, his voice suddenly dropping octaves, and the older man blinked, surprised.

“What— _General Del Pilar!_ ”

Gregorio’s body changed again to the paralytic’s, and he laid down on the man’s bed.

“Do you think he’ll use  _other_  means to talk to you?” he asked, Mabini’s voice hauntingly rough and low, and heat rushed to Aguinaldo’s face, his heartbeat pounding in his head a steady, fast rhythm of  _thud-thud-thudthudTHUDTHUDTHUD **THUD** —_

“ _Don’t_  you  _dare_ , General Del Pilar.” Aguinaldo snarled, and the metal in the room vibrated once more. “Stop this madness.”

Gregorio’s smirk on Mabini’s lips didn’t fit right.

“Just imagine. Coming into the room. Light glowing from candles. The wind would be cold, and the company would be  _warm_.” He purred, and  _God_  did it sound wrong in Mabini’s voice. “ _Emilio_.”

He had had enough. “ _You are dismissed_.” He snarled.

The metal railing on Aguinaldo’s bed sharpened into a point and curled dangerously fast towards Gregorio’s neck. The General laughed, and morphed back to his usual face, and slid off the bed to stand to attention.

“I’ll be back tomorrow with a new report.” He declared, giving the man a salute. “Good night, Senyor Presidente.”

Aguinaldo simply scowled at him, and Gregorio lowered his arm, still smirking. He changed his face to a generic servant’s, and stepped out of his room.

When the door shut, Aguinaldo melded the lock together, and with a heavy sigh, dropped himself onto his bed.

Gregorio’s words, purred in Mabini’s voice, plagued his head. The sight of those lips, those eyes, looking at him like  _that_ —

Sleep eluded him that night.


End file.
